302 HISTORY OF 



in their posterity, the number of the brown by far exceeded those 

 of any other colour : there were some white, some particoloui- 

 ed, and some black. It is surprising how much the descendants 

 were obedient and submissive to their common parent ; he was 

 easily distinguished from the rest by his superior whiteness ; 

 and, however numerous the other males were, this kept them 

 all in subjection. AVhenever they quarrelled among each other, 

 either for their females or provisions, as soon as he heard the 

 noise, he ran up to them with all despatch, and, upon his a])- 

 pearance, all was instantly reduced to peace and order. If he 

 caught any of them in the fact, he instantly punished them, as ' 

 an example to the rest. Another instance of his superiority 

 was, that having accustomed them to come to me with the call 

 of a whistle, the instant this signal was given I saw him nuar- 

 shalliiig them up, leading them the foremost, and then sufferin|f 

 them all to file off before him." 



The rabbit,' though less than the bare, generally lives longer. 

 As these animals pass the greater part of their lives in their 

 burrow, where they continue at ease and unmolested, they have 

 nothing to prevent the regidarity of their health, or the due 

 course of their nourishment. They are, therefore, generally 

 found fatter than the hare ; but their iiesh is, notwithstanding, 

 much less delicate. That of the old ones, in particular, is hard, 

 tough, and dry ; but it is said, that in wanner countries they are 

 better tasted. This may very well be, as the rabbit, though so 

 very plentiful in Great Britain and Ireland, is nevertheless a 

 \iative of the warmer climates ; and has been originally imported 

 into these kingdoms from Spain. In that country, and in some 

 of the islands in the Mediterranean, we are told that they once 

 multiplied in such numbers as to prove the greatest nuisance to 

 the natives. They at first demanded military aid to destroy 

 them ; but soon after they called in the assistance of ferrets, 

 which orginally came from Africa, and these, with much more 

 ease and expedition, contrived to lessen the calamity. In fact, 

 rabbits are found to love a warm climate, and to be incapable of 

 bearing the cold of the north ; so that in Sweden they are oblig- 

 ed to be littered in the houses. It is otherwise in all the tropi- 

 cal climates, where they are extremely common, and where they 

 seldom burrow, as with us. The English counties that ar« 



I MrMoutier, as quoted by Mr lintfun. 



